Legal Experience:

Meggs has lent a hand to many public interest legal efforts including environmental review, litigation, legislation, and more. Meggs holds a Juris Master's degree equivalent from NCOC School of Law (specializing in Civil Rights law). Meggs worked in a toxic torts office and then an international human rights office, and has taken a number of graduate level environmental, planning and land use law classes at UC Berkeley.

Meggs co-founded the Bicycle Civil Liberties Union to address the endemic and institutional, deadly inequities which discriminate against bicycling and walking, including those who use wheelchairs.

Meggs gives a talk on Bicycle Law, thrice presented at the Environmental Law Quarterly Speaker series at Boalt Hall School of Law.

Environmental Law:

Meggs has followed numerous CEQA/NEPA processes as an interested party with standing, sometimes representing nonprofit and community organizations such as the Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition and the Bike the Bridge! Coalition. Meggs warned the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition of the threat of CEQA abuses shutting down bicycle projects (which indeed, later froze implementation in SF for over three years).
Meggs completed special training in Health Impact Assessment and participated in HIA work with SF DPH.

Toxic Torts:

Meggs worked in a toxic torts law firm and is particularly knowledgable regarding pesticides, in addition to having an MPH degree in Environmental Health Sciences (relevant courswork includes Advanced Toxicology; Pesticide Toxicology; Indoor Air Pollution: the Sick Building Syndrome; Exposure Assessment; Risk Assessment; Organic/Inorganic Chemistries; Characteristics of Airborne Contaminants; and more).

International Human Rights:

Meggs completed a clerkship at EarthRights International in the successful Alien Tort Claims Act suit (Doe v. Unocal) regarding forced labor, rape and murder in Unocal's Burma oil pipeline; as well as investigating the accountability of presidential orders during the Bush regime. Meggs traveled in Ecuador, documenting petroleum harms at personal risk.

Legislation:

Meggs identified the need for legislation to allow funding for a Bay Bridge bicycle path, met with top MPO planners to secure agreement on the solution, drafted legislation and found a sponsor. Meggs delivered over 1,000 signed letters of support to Governor Wilson. The bill was passed June 26, 1998 (AB2038, Migden).
Meggs played an important role in supporting a number of landmark bills at the state level, and in championing local ordinances as well.

Litigation:

Meggs fought a ten-year tenants' rights battle, the first victory of which is helping vulnerable persons of low or fixed income from the devastation of displacement. See DeZerega v. Meggs, 83 Cal. App. 4th 28 (2000).
Meggs participated in drafting litigation aimed at major transportation policymakers in the San Francisco Bay Area, which was circulated as fair notice in case the vote for a Bay Bridge bicycle path went awry.
Meggs was essential to organizing legal defense and as a key witness regarding the wrongful taking of two children, without a warrant, from their mother by 'Child Protective Services,' ultimately resulting in a precedent thanks to legendary justice attorney David Beauvais. See Moodian v. County of Alameda Social Services Agency.
Meggs sued a major internet media corporation for defamation, breach of contract and copyright infringement regarding unauthorized misuse and misrepresentation for profit of this video evidence showing a driver crush three bicycles (thereby terrorizing a group of bicycle demonstrators, curtailing their freedom of speech); and won.
Meggs and the BCLU sued the Sacramento Police Department for civil rights abuses against bicycle demonstrators and won.
Meggs sued the Berkeley Police Department similarly, but all four cases were lost. Corruption, dishonorable and dishonest actions on behalf of the City Attorney played a prominent role in justice not being served.
Meggs sued the San Francisco Police Department similarly, but evidence disappeared from her home without explanation, resulting in dissolution of the suit.

Criminal Law:

Meggs has experience defending victims of police abuses in over 100 criminal cases.
Meggs wrote the following letter to then SF District Attorney Terence Hallinan in defence of peaceful protesters who legally pedaled on an elevated freeway; all charges were subsequently dismissed.
Meggs is a member and volunteer with the San Francisco Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild.
Meggs once organized a group of Sacramento bicycle demonstrators to bring Murgia motions in defence against discriminatory enforcement, putting the Sacramento District Attorney's office on the stand and winning ahz own case (suffered as a legal observer) in the process. Audio, video and document history available.

Police Review Complaints:

Meggs took the Berkeley Police Department to the Police Review Commission many times beginning in 1993, with an unusually high rate of success. The police have since sued the PRC to strip it of its powers, costing the City over $1M USD. Meggs suffered regular harassment including death threats, theft of bicycle, false citation, false arrest, false charges and attempts to frame, violent and disabling injuries, and more since filing first complaint. One example of these many complaints is this one.

Meggs took the Berkeley Police Department to the Police Review Commission many times beginning in 1993, with an unusually high rate of success. The police have since sued the PRC to strip it of its powers, costing the City over $1M USD. Meggs suffered regular harassment including death threats, theft of ahz bicycle, false citation, false arrest, false charges and attempts to frame, violent and disabling injuries, and more since filing a first complaint. One example of these many complaints is this one. Documenting Abuses:

Meggs documented many case histories of discrimination against bicyclists including abuse reports and suppression of bicycle demonstrations, as the California State Coordinator for the Bicycle Civil Liberties Union.